title: Persisting sensitization of the behavioural response to formalin-induced injury in the rat through activation of serotonin2A receptors.
abstract: Serotonin potentiates pain induced by intraplantar injection of other inflammatory mediators through the 5-hydroxytryptamine2A receptor, and 5-hydroxytryptamine2A antagonists dose-dependently block pain induced by formalin. The present study examined the temporal characteristics of 5-hydroxytryptamine-mediated potentiation of pain in the rat. Simultaneous injection of the 5-hydroxytryptamine2 receptor agonist alpha-methyl-5-hydroxytryptamine (10 micrograms) plus prostaglandin E2 (0.1 microgram) produced 10 min of lifting and licking of the injected paw. When alpha-methyl-5-hydroxytryptamine was injected before prostaglandin E2, the response decreased as the interval increased, and by 1 h, it was not different from injection of prostaglandin E2 alone. When prostaglandin E2 was injected prior to alpha-methyl-5-hydroxytryptamine, sensitization to the latter persisted for more than 3 h. It was blocked by the 5-hydroxytryptamine2 antagonist ketanserin (5 micrograms), injected locally 5 min before alpha-methyl-5-hydroxytryptamine. Ketanserin (5 micrograms) or the 5-hydroxytryptamine1A/2A antagonist spiperone (0.3 microgram), injected locally 5 min before alpha-methyl-5-hydroxytryptamine and prostaglandin E2, reduced pain by 80-90%, but only by 40-50% when injected 2 min after. Formalin produced a biphasic pain response. The 5-hydroxytryptamine2 antagonists, ketanserin (50 micrograms), spiperone (3 micrograms) and ritanserin (50 micrograms) injected 5 min before formalin reduced the pain response by 70, 90 and 74%, respectively, but only by 40, 30 and 24% when injected at the beginning of the second phase. Pretreatment of the paw with 2 micrograms indomethacin did not alter the response to alpha-methyl-5-hydroxytryptamine plus prostagladin E2, indicating that the sensitization was not due to prostaglandin synthesis. These data show that 5-hydroxytryptamine sensitizes tissue to the pain-producing actions of other inflammatory mediators, and that the sensitization produces a persisting change in tissue that can be blocked by pretreatment with an antagonist, but not reversed after it has occurred. The data imply that 5-hydroxytryptamine2A antagonists may act prophylactically to prevent the evolution of pain in injured tissue, but do not reduce already-present pain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: F V
authors.initials: FV
authors.lastname: Abbott
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Blier
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D015232:Dinoprostone / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology; D005528:Foot / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology; D005557:Formaldehyde; D007213:Indomethacin / Q000494:pharmacology; D007249:Inflammation / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000523:psychology*; D051381:Rats; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin / Q000187:drug effects*; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists; D005557:Formaldehyde; D015232:Dinoprostone; D007213:Indomethacin